Texts · 7 · Hezekiah and Isaiah
David's story was a sales pitch to the North
The youngest son from Bethlehem replaces Saul, the North's first king. To survivors of Israel's fall, the message was clear: your rightful king now sits in Jerusalem.
Even beloved stories can carry a political message.
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David spares Saul, loves Jonathan, mourns Saul's death, and is invited by Israel's tribes to rule. Judean scribes likely crafted this appeal after 722 BCE, when Judah was finally strong enough to claim the leaderless North.
Bible reference: 2 Samuel 5:1–2
Source: Why the Bible Began, pp. 111–112
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